The present invention relates generally to a status notification system for determining, on the basis of sensing information selectively supplied wirelessly from a status notification apparatus which transmits a movable body status sensed at a movable body, the movable body status and determining whether to request the transmission of additional sensing information by a response apparatus.
Today, automobile insurance companies not only sell automobile insurance policies but also offer various kinds of car-associated services to insurance policy purchasers for charge or free of charge, thereby enhancing the added values of automobile insurance. To be specific, if a car covered by insurance is involved in an accident or has a breakdown, the insurance company rushes to the scene to take necessary actions such as wrecking or arranging lodgings for the driver in the case where traveling by car becomes impossible, for example.
The offering of the above-mentioned services is basically initiated by the notification by telephone for example from the driver in trouble such as an accident or a breakdown. This means that the notification is totally depends on the discretion of the driver. Therefore, in some situations, the driver may not correctly tell the details of the trouble he is in, thereby making it impossible for the insurance company to take proper rescue or support actions.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a status notification system, a status notification apparatus, and a response apparatus for providing appropriate rescue and support services to automobile insurance purchasers.
In carrying out the invention and according to one aspect thereof, there is provided a situation notification system for automatically wirelessly communicating, on the basis of information supplied from a plurality of sensors installed on a movable body, a status of the movable body through a response unit and a communication unit connected to a network, having a status sensing unit for transmitting, if the movable body is found in a predetermined situation on the basis of data obtained from the plurality of sensors installed on necessary portions of the movable body, predetermined data to the response unit through the communication unit and selectively transmitting, if an additional information transmission request is received from the response unit through the communication unit, the data obtained from the plurality of sensors, a communication unit for wirelessly communicating with the status sensing unit and communicating with the response unit and a response unit for receiving the predetermined data from the status sensing unit through the communication unit, determining whether the acquisition of the additional information is necessary on the basis of the predetermined data, and, if the acquisition of the additional information is necessary, requesting, through the communication unit, the status sensing unit for the transmission of the additional information, the status sensing unit including an input means for inputting sensing information sensed from the plurality of sensors, a storage means for storing the sensing information inputted by the input means, a sensing means for sensing whether the sensing information is within a predetermined range, a communication means for wirelessly communicating with the response unit and a control means, if the movable body having the status sensing unit is found by the sensing means that the movable body is in a predetermined status, for selecting predetermined sensing information from the sensing information stored in the storage means, controlling the communication means so as to wirelessly transmit the selected sensing information to the response unit, and, if the request for the acquisition of the additional information is subsequently received from the response unit, reading the requested additional information from the storage means to transmit the read additional information, the communication unit including a wireless communication means for wirelessly communicating with the status sensing unit, a network communication means for communicating with the response unit connected to the network and a conversion means for converting a data format of the wireless communication and a data format of the network communication and the response unit including a communication means for communicating with the status sensing unit through the network, an evaluation means for evaluating a status of the movable body having the status sensing unit from the predetermined sensing information supplied from the status sensing unit and a control means, if the request for the additional information is found necessary on the basis of an evaluation result obtained by the evaluation means, for controlling the communication means so as to transmit acquisition request information for requesting the additional information to the status sensing unit.
In carrying out the invention and according to another aspect thereof, there is provided a status notification apparatus for automatically wirelessly communicating with a response unit connected to a network a status sensed on a movable body through a commutation unit for wireless communicating data with the network, including an input means for inputting sensing information sensed from the plurality of sensors, a storage means for storing the sensing information inputted by the input means, a sensing means for sensing whether the sensing information is within a predetermined range, a communication means for wirelessly communicating with the response unit and a control means, if the sensing information is found within the predetermined range by the sensing means, for selecting predetermined sensing information from the plurality of pieces of sensing information inputted from the plurality of sensors, controlling the communication means so as to transmit the selected sensing information to the response unit as initial information and, if an additional information request signal is received from the response unit, controlling the communication means so as to selectively read the requested sensing information from the storage means to transmit the read sensing information to the response unit.
In carrying out the invention and according to still another aspect thereof, there is provided a response apparatus for communicating, via a network, with a status notification apparatus which selectively transmits information supplied from a plurality of sensors installed on a movable body by wirelessly communicating with a communication unit, including a communication means for network-communicating with the communication unit an evaluation means for evaluating predetermined sensing data selectively supplied from the status notification apparatus and a control means, if the reception of further sensor information from the status notification apparatus is found necessary on the basis of a result of the evaluation made by the evaluation means, for controlling the communication means so as to transmit to the status notification apparatus an additional information transmission request signal for requesting the transmission of additional sensor information.